Saturday Shoutout / 50/50 Video

I absolutely love this video and I love Orvis for making it.

It’s not common, especially these days, to find a company that steps up and take risks just to do what’s right. Let alone one willing to make public the worst feedback they receive from their customers. That’s a company with principals.

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8 thoughts on “Saturday Shoutout / 50/50 Video”

Trout have no gender bias; the vast majority of fly fishermen have no gender bias either. Orvis and the rest of the industry have a pro female bias because it doubles their market niche. I just don’t get the call for “parity”? Where exactly is the “disparity”? Can someone (ladies?) please help an old timer like me understand which obstacles and barriers men can knock down to help more women enjoy the sport of fly fishing? If you are a woman who somehow feels unwelcomed in this male dominated sport, please understand that being female cannot possibly limit your access to the knowledge and the skills necessary for success. Ignore any rude or inconsiderate angler you encounter and please understand that this type of fly guy treats us the same. Men have absolutely no advantage over women in fly fishing as they do in other more physically demanding sports. It is a sport that humbles the best of us, and feedback comes easy: just listen to the trout, they will always tell you how good you are. As Lefty Kreh famously remarked, “There is more BS in fly fishing than in a Kansas feedlot.” Fly fishing isn’t rocket science: buy the gear, tie some flies, read up, practice your casting, and go fly fishing. Us fly guys will gladly welcome fly gals into the sport, especially if they do it for the right reasons. But ladies, if you do it just to prove to men that you can do anything we can, credibility and respect will not be earned. Do it for a genuine love of the sport. And for god’s sake let’s not turn this into a battle of the genders, there will be no winners. Never forget, the only real obstacle that stands in the way of anyone from entering the sport is personal desire, not the attitudes and opinions of others. Good luck ladies and looking forward to seeing more of you out there enjoying the ultimate outdoor experience.

Rick,
I think your welcoming words to women regarding women and fly fishing are great. However, I don’t think that as men we fully appreciate how screwed up our social and legal practices are in terms of fairness to women. Over the past few years my eyes have been opened to this through the experiences of females in my family.

If you take a good look at the Orvis product line, they seem to primarily sell clothing. Having been to my local Orvis store on several occasions, the majority of the square footage of their store is dedicated to clothing. Based on the time I spent in the outdoor industry, a Patagonia Store manager (female) said it best, “women buy more clothes.” This seems like a no brainer for Orvis.

Does inclusion really need take on political and emotional overtones? How about “you are welcome anytime, we would love to have you” followed by genuine enthusiasm for newbies irrespective or race, religion, or gender? I’m not sure a lecture helps welcome all comers.

I am not sold that the “phone message” in the video was real. I mean, where you going to leave a voicemail like that with Orvis anyway?? Furthermore, even if it was real, of all of the customers that Orvis has, is this considered a representation of the majority of them??? ….or even a portion?

I agree with Rick above and don’t see the “disparity.” I don’t see that videos and talk like this as something that is a positive but more of a situation where it drives a wedge into the issue and makes it a bigger issue.

My wife has fished with me almost everywhere Ive been the last 10-12 years and I don’t think that the subject has ever been brought up between us. Although I haven’t asked her, I don’t think she’d say that shes ever encountered any issues because of gender in the sport and we have fished a lot of places around the world.

As Rick stated, this has to do with marketing and sales. Sometimes I wonder why we as American’s would create a “social issue” for business purposes. In this case, it may bring in some of the women that have a chip on their shoulder but what about the rest of the women out there like my wife that don’t see it as an issue? I don’t see her as being drawn to a marketing initiative that creates a false issue of gender bias.